The background of applied kinesiology (AK) in general dates back to George Goodhart, D. C. (1964) in which the observation that the gross, striated muscle response is one of going weak to a detrimental stimulus and remaining strong to a beneficial stimulus was made.
Applied kinesiology interactive assessment procedures represent a form of functional biomechanical and functional neurologic evaluation. The term “functional biomechanics” refers to the clinical assessment of posture, organized motion such as in gait, and ranges of motion. Muscle testing readily enters into the assessment of postural distortion, gait impairment and altered range of motion. During a functional neurologic evaluation, muscle tests are used to monitor the physiologic response to a physical, chemical or mental stimulus. The observed response is correlated with clinical history and physical exam findings and, as indicated, with laboratory tests and any other appropriate standard diagnostic methods.
The applied kinesiology response has been used by chiropractors since the mid 20th Century for diagnostic purposes. In the past, the muscle response measure was achieved through gross physical movements of voluntary muscle groups.
An example of a prior art kinesiology exam in FIG. 1 is taken from David Hawkins' “Power versus Force”1995, Veritas Publishing page 3, excerpted from H. O. Kendall's Muscles: Testing and function (Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, second edition, 1971).
It takes two people to perform a kinesiological test. One is a friend or family member for testing. We'll call him or her, your subject, and you will be the examiner. Have the subject standing erect, right hand relaxed at subject's side, left arm held out parallel to the floor, elbow straight (Block 101). (You may use the other arm if you wish). Face your subject and place your left hand on his right shoulder to steady him. Then place your right hand on the subject's extended left arm just above the wrist (Block 103). Inform the subject you're going to try to push his arm down as he resists (Block 105). Now push down on his arm fairly quickly, firmly and evenly (Block 107). The idea is to push just hard enough to test this spring and balance in the arm but not so hard that the muscle becomes fatigued. The phenomenon is not a question of who is stronger, but of whether the muscle can “lock” the shoulder joint against the push. You then determine the resistance (Block 109) and determine whether it is strong or weak (Block 111).
Assuming there is no physical problem with the muscle and the subject is in a normal and relaxed state of mind, receiving no extraneous stimuli (for this reason it is important that the examiner not smile or otherwise interact with the subject), the muscle will “test strong”—that is the arm will remain locked or have a high resistance (Block 113). If the test is repeated in the presence of a negative stimulus (for instance, artificial sweetener), although you are pushing down no harder than before, the muscle will not be able to resist the pressure and the subject's arm will fall to his side (Block 115).
The same is the case for muscle responses to statements that are true and not true: the muscle staying strong under “true” conditions and going weak under “not true” conditions, (i.e., a false statement). Likewise, it has been reported by Davis, C. 2007 (in Hawkins, D. 2008 “Reality, Spirituality, and Modern Man) that the pupil dilates to false and constricts to true statements made by the individual. This smooth muscle, autonomic activity, provides a unique way of assessing the naturally occurring applied kinesiology response.
Goodhart (1976) also noted a response in individuals listening to statements of deceit; that is, large striated muscle tested weak in the presence of statements known to be false, such as the tape recordings of Lyndon Johnson talking about the “Tonkin gulf” or Edward Kennedy stonewalling on Chappaquiddick. These parsimonious observations by Goodhart carry implications for national security interests in that the false information is not being expressed by the individual tested (i.e., the person being tested isn't doing the lying), but the false information is being detected by the person listening to it. This particular phenomenon is described and explained by Hawkins as a “field effect”. The theoretical explanation is in terms of quantum physics, “nonlocal effects”, and hence somewhat “edgy” to the everyday understanding, but the observable functionality is what is remarkable and holds tremendous promise if the parameters by which it works are validated. In other words, because of the field effect of a false statement, one does not have to be present at the location to detect it.
An object of the present subject matter is to provide improved devices, systems, and methods for measuring characteristics of at least one eye, and particularly for measuring the physiological changes in the eyes under different conditions of truthfulness (beneficial) and falseness (non-beneficial).
Another object of the present subject matter is to remove subjective components of the muscle testing response from the testing individual by automatically monitoring an involuntary (autonomic) pupillary response using an automated process.
Yet another object of the present subject matter is to provide for a remote applied kinesiology examination.
These and many other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appended drawings, and the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.